She swung her legs as she sat on the big padded chairs with the arms.
Papa’s office wasn’t near as fun as she thought it would be. Mama was talking with Papa—they’d come to give him something, she didn’t know what— and Nathan was playing with his G.I. Joes and wouldn’t let her touch. Baby Laura was sleeping in her carrier and was Not For Playing With.
And she wasn’t allowed to spin in the chair.
“Mama!”
Mama frowned. “Be patient, Boo.”
She huffed. After a moment, she jumped down from the chair and stuck her head into the hall. The hall looked like a lot more fun than the office. The ceiling was so high. It was so high that there was a big sidewalk halfway up and there were even more offices up there. And the floor of the hall was a pink rock that was so shiny.
She stepped out of the door and into the hall. Her shoes made a neat sound, a sort of clack-clack. (It was really quiet there. She thought the army people would be louder, but all everyone did was talk on the phone and sign papers.)
“Mama?” she poked her head back in. “I want to skip.”
Mama glanced at the wall-length window from the office and the empty hallway. “Stay in the hallway where I can see.”
“’kay.”
She looked down the length of the hall, took a deep breath and started skipping.
“A-B-C-D-E-F-G!” she sang softly. “A-B-C-D-E-F-G!”
When she was halfway down the hall, she stopped and turned around, still skipping. “A-B-C-D-E-F-G!”
She had turned a few times when she saw the people. They had walked into the place where she needed to skip. She frowned but kept skipping. Maybe they would move.
They didn’t notice her, though. She stopped skipping reluctantly and walked to where they were talking.
One of them was wearing the same clothes Papa did when he went away for the weekend. They were wrinkly, though. His Mama must not iron them.
The other was wearing clothes she hadn’t seen before. And he had big boots. She bet he was really good at kicking stuff.
It was the one with the boots that noticed her first. “Fräulein?”
She held her arms behind her back, but braced her feet apart. “I need to skip here.”
The other one, the one with Papa’s clothes, laughed. She looked up and saw that he wore glasses like Papa did, too.
(He was taller than Papa, though.)
The one with the boots frowned. “What are you doing here?” he said in English.
“Skipping.” That’s why she wanted them to move.
The one who looked like Papa chuckled again and put a hand on her head to ruffle her hair. “Shouldn’t you go back to your parents now?”
She frowned, but she knew that tone. That was the ‘Boo-get-your-shoes-on’ tone. “Okay…”
He took his hand out of her hair and offered it to her. “C’mon, I’ll walk you back.”
She took it, and it was just as warm as Mama’s. Standing this close, she thought he smelled like summertime and Grandpa’s tractor.
“I’ll be back in a minute. I’m supposed to take care of Army brats, ‘y know?” He was saying to the other.
The one with the boots nodded.
She turned around and started to walk back to Papa’s office. Slowly, though. She didn’t want to go back to the little office, it was boring.
She liked holding the man’s hand, though. And he didn’t walk fast so she wasn’t tripping or running to catch up.
They were about halfway to Papa’s office when the man with the boots said “Das warten.”
The man who looked like Papa stopped and turned, and so did she.
The other walked a few steps over and reached into a back pocket for something orange and white, which he knelt and handed to her.
She took it in one hand and looked. She smiled shyly. She loved Kinder Eggs, and they were a special treat. “Thank you.”
The man with the boots smiled kindly for a moment, and then he stood over her. “Now, you must be sure to share it with your family.” He said sternly.
She blinked and nodded, and she grinned at him again before she and the first man turned back to walk to Papa’s office.
She would share with Mama and Papa. But Nathan would have to give her a G.I. Joe first.
This actually happened, and I'm pretty sure now that the one who took me back was my father's Commanding Officer.
I'm sorry if the German is fail, I used an online dictionary.
:D OMG, KINDER EGGS!! I love those things (cravecravecrave). Lovely story, it takes me back to my time as an army brat (though i guess I'll always be one in heart). D'aww at America and Germany!
OH HOOOOOO, SO ADORABLE! Reminds me, actually, of a somewhat similar incident of a kind man, so that's always fun!
Alfred loves children! It should be canon, this makes me want to see Alfred child interaction EVEN MORE!!!! And I love how you made you sound how an ACTUAL child does act, what with the singing on only one line over and over and over. So cute! I'm giddy! X3
Oh, and, um, what's a Kinder Egg? A little boy was asking me about them the other day at my work place and now I desperately want to know what they are! (And if they're an egg, I can get a free one from the Easter Bunny).
I'm glad you liked it, OP! Thanks for posting the prompt!
A Kinder Egg is a type of chocolate made in Germany. It's a hollow egg with two layers of chocolate, white on the inside and milk on the outside. Inside the egg, there's a plastic capsule with a small toy inside. The toys are cool, too!
They're really popular in Germany, and I don't know what the availability is where you're at but in the American Midwest I can normally find them around Easter and Christmas in some candy stores.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Kinder
(Anonymous) 2009-03-06 04:26 am (UTC)(link)Papa’s office wasn’t near as fun as she thought it would be. Mama was talking with Papa—they’d come to give him something, she didn’t know what— and Nathan was playing with his G.I. Joes and wouldn’t let her touch. Baby Laura was sleeping in her carrier and was Not For Playing With.
And she wasn’t allowed to spin in the chair.
“Mama!”
Mama frowned. “Be patient, Boo.”
She huffed. After a moment, she jumped down from the chair and stuck her head into the hall. The hall looked like a lot more fun than the office. The ceiling was so high. It was so high that there was a big sidewalk halfway up and there were even more offices up there. And the floor of the hall was a pink rock that was so shiny.
She stepped out of the door and into the hall. Her shoes made a neat sound, a sort of clack-clack. (It was really quiet there. She thought the army people would be louder, but all everyone did was talk on the phone and sign papers.)
“Mama?” she poked her head back in. “I want to skip.”
Mama glanced at the wall-length window from the office and the empty hallway. “Stay in the hallway where I can see.”
“’kay.”
She looked down the length of the hall, took a deep breath and started skipping.
“A-B-C-D-E-F-G!” she sang softly. “A-B-C-D-E-F-G!”
When she was halfway down the hall, she stopped and turned around, still skipping. “A-B-C-D-E-F-G!”
She had turned a few times when she saw the people. They had walked into the place where she needed to skip. She frowned but kept skipping. Maybe they would move.
They didn’t notice her, though. She stopped skipping reluctantly and walked to where they were talking.
One of them was wearing the same clothes Papa did when he went away for the weekend. They were wrinkly, though. His Mama must not iron them.
The other was wearing clothes she hadn’t seen before. And he had big boots. She bet he was really good at kicking stuff.
It was the one with the boots that noticed her first. “Fräulein?”
She held her arms behind her back, but braced her feet apart. “I need to skip here.”
The other one, the one with Papa’s clothes, laughed. She looked up and saw that he wore glasses like Papa did, too.
(He was taller than Papa, though.)
The one with the boots frowned. “What are you doing here?” he said in English.
“Skipping.” That’s why she wanted them to move.
The one who looked like Papa chuckled again and put a hand on her head to ruffle her hair. “Shouldn’t you go back to your parents now?”
She frowned, but she knew that tone. That was the ‘Boo-get-your-shoes-on’ tone. “Okay…”
He took his hand out of her hair and offered it to her. “C’mon, I’ll walk you back.”
She took it, and it was just as warm as Mama’s. Standing this close, she thought he smelled like summertime and Grandpa’s tractor.
“I’ll be back in a minute. I’m supposed to take care of Army brats, ‘y know?” He was saying to the other.
The one with the boots nodded.
She turned around and started to walk back to Papa’s office. Slowly, though. She didn’t want to go back to the little office, it was boring.
She liked holding the man’s hand, though. And he didn’t walk fast so she wasn’t tripping or running to catch up.
They were about halfway to Papa’s office when the man with the boots said “Das warten.”
The man who looked like Papa stopped and turned, and so did she.
The other walked a few steps over and reached into a back pocket for something orange and white, which he knelt and handed to her.
She took it in one hand and looked. She smiled shyly. She loved Kinder Eggs, and they were a special treat. “Thank you.”
The man with the boots smiled kindly for a moment, and then he stood over her. “Now, you must be sure to share it with your family.” He said sternly.
She blinked and nodded, and she grinned at him again before she and the first man turned back to walk to Papa’s office.
She would share with Mama and Papa. But Nathan would have to give her a G.I. Joe first.
This actually happened, and I'm pretty sure now that the one who took me back was my father's Commanding Officer.
I'm sorry if the German is fail, I used an online dictionary.
Re: Kinder
(Anonymous) 2009-03-06 06:23 am (UTC)(link)Re: Kinder
(Anonymous) 2009-03-06 06:35 am (UTC)(link)Re: Kinder
(Anonymous) 2009-03-06 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)Re: WriterAnon
(Anonymous) 2009-03-07 04:28 am (UTC)(link)I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Re: OP
(Anonymous) 2009-03-09 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)Alfred loves children! It should be canon, this makes me want to see Alfred child interaction EVEN MORE!!!! And I love how you made you sound how an ACTUAL child does act, what with the singing on only one line over and over and over. So cute! I'm giddy! X3
Oh, and, um, what's a Kinder Egg? A little boy was asking me about them the other day at my work place and now I desperately want to know what they are! (And if they're an egg, I can get a free one from the Easter Bunny).
Thank you so much for the fill!!!!
Author anon
(Anonymous) 2009-03-17 04:18 am (UTC)(link)A Kinder Egg is a type of chocolate made in Germany. It's a hollow egg with two layers of chocolate, white on the inside and milk on the outside. Inside the egg, there's a plastic capsule with a small toy inside. The toys are cool, too!
They're really popular in Germany, and I don't know what the availability is where you're at but in the American Midwest I can normally find them around Easter and Christmas in some candy stores.
I hope you find them!